Stormy Sea
by missultrablue
Summary: Kairi was the type of girl who pushed people away. She'd never let anyone in, and never let anyone see any signs of weakness. When she'd met him though, his blue skies began to break through the dark clouds in the stormy sea she called her life.-Sokai-
1. The Blog

**A/N: Hi everyone, this is my first fanfiction ever, so please, be kind. I wanted to start small with the first chapter and work up to more. Constructive criticism is welcome. **

**Also, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. That's depressing...**

**Chapter One: The Blog**

**_I have seen the sea when it is stormy and wild; when it is quiet and serene; when it is dark and moody. And in all its moods, I see myself._**

__That moment when you break open a fortune cookie, excited to see what fate the fortune cookie companies have in store for you. You're hoping for something along the lines of happiness, money, and love. Instead you get a black, bold letters on a white little paper telling you, "That wasn't chicken." You stare at your empty plate before you; you licked it clean. Then your insides melt as realization dawns on you. I'm fucked. That moment? That moment is my life summed up into a single shitty evening meal.__

A gorgeous girl with fiery auburn hair sat alone in dark house, squinting at a brightly lit laptop computer. She was slender girl, with a curvy but athletic build. She had eyes like the deepest shade of amethyst crystal with a light complexion to match. She had soft strawberry lips that were constantly stuck in a frown. She hit "save" on the web page she was on and paused.

Kairi's blog entries were always the same. Short, and to the point. Just like her. She wrote them daily. She thought it would help her better understand how she was feeling, and gave her the small hope that maybe someday, someone else might understand. She would tell the whole wide world consisting of eight subscribers all about her pathetic existence on the islands that everyone found to be so breathtaking and beautiful. She was stuck inside her head now, sitting idly at her computer wondering when that instant message would come and pop up on her screen. She knew she wouldn't have to wait long. It's always the same, after every blog post. She was listening to her favorite song "Simple & Clean" by Utada Hikaru. She was listening to it through her headphones, which were plugged in to her cell phone, which she lived off, despite having few friends and practically no family to talk to. But hey, modern phones could just do so much more than call and text.

Kairi's best friend, Selphie, didn't really enjoy her blogs. Selphie was outgoing girl, who had a very big family and active family life. She was slightly taller and Kairi, had a pretty pale peach complexion and honey brown shoulder length hair that flipped up on the sides. Her eyes were a sparkling emerald green, and she was partial to the color orange, and so she wore it every opportunity she could. She was bubbling with information on the latest books that were selling out of the teen fiction section of bookstores (Kairi preferred REAL literature) and knew all the latest gossip about celebrities including her favorite singer, Yuna.

Selphie called Kairi a pessimist constantly. She'd be lucky if a day went by when she didn't have Selphie at her side telling her how depressing and bleak her outlook on life was, and that she should definitely try to be more…positive.

-Instant message-

[gardengurl] Hey gurl. Stop bein' so depressing all the time! I just read your blog.

[destinysembrace] Sometimes, I'm not sure why you still do.

[gardengurl] It's because I care. Why else?

[destinysembrace] I'm fine. Just writing my usual. I'm kinda tired. We'll talk later, alright?

[gardengurl] Just try and think positive for once. You'll stay single and alone if you keep this up. Tidus and Wakka are worried about you too, you know. We all care. You're just selfish and try to go through your whole life alone. I'm getting sick of you being so negative about everything and everyone. I swear you don't have to be in bitch mode 24/7. Geez. I'll call you later.

[destinysembrace] Selphie.

User: gardengurl has logged off.

Kairi knew she'd done it this time. She let out a deep breath and leaned back in her uncomfortable wooden chair. Her back ached. That's what she gets for writing at her dining room table. There rest of her house was dark and empty. The neighborhood she lived in was a rowdy one. People had kick backs, and parties (oh how she hated them) all the time. If the walls weren't vibrating from the neighbor's bass next door, she could at least hear their annoying music. Living with her grandmother was over all a pretty mellow thing though. It was only that way because her grandmother was never around though. The cozy, two story condo they lived in was located just outside the shopping district of Traverse Town. She hated the bustling, fast-paced city living more than anything. Her senior graduation from Traverse Town High School was only a week and a half away, so it was all Kairi could think about. She didn't get a 4.3 grade average so she could be stuck here, with all the people she hated. She would be going to the University of Destiny Islands, located on the main island of a chain called Destiny Islands. With the thought of the island's sparkling blue waters, white sand, and sunny days fresh in her mind she rose slowly from her spot at the table. As she slowly ascended the stairs toward her bedroom, she keep gaze fixed straight ahead. She couldn't bear looking at the family photos placed neatly along the walls. She felt a pang of bitterness and could swear that she felt the beginnings of an ulcer burning in her stomach. The photos didn't appear vibrant and colorful to her, they had long ago faded to dull sepia. She hated pictures, and those pictures most of all. She avoided yearbook pictures, and never appeared in any club pictures from school either. Always absent on school picture days, she was known for being mysterious and very anti-social.

With a sigh she entered her bedroom. She picked up the box of matches that lay on her bedside table and little the candles placed around her room, one by one. She took a deep breath, counted to ten, then let it out. She was in her sanctuary now. She felt truly safe here. Paintings adorned the sage green walls of her room. She had a vanity with a mirror, a dresser, queen sized bed, and her nightstand. All were made of a pale oak. The pictures on the walls were that of Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and one of the famous Paganini- a virtuoso whose form was cast in shadows to portray him as a demon violist. Kairi had always thought herself to be an intellectual, and she felt she had great taste in art. The clothes that hung inside her walk-in closet were all organized by color, and her shoes as well. She wasn't about to mess around when it came to picking outfits for the day. She wanted to look sharp, even if it was for no one in particular. After all, everything she did was strictly for herself. That's just the way it always was.

Kairi laid back on her bed and closed her eyes. She instinctively began to rub her temples in a circular motion. She could feel a headache coming on. Her shoulders felt tense. She was a wreck today, and she was very much aware of it. The glittering beaches that occupied Kairi's mind became eroded as her mind drifted back to the miserable topic of her friends and her non-existent social life.

_-Selphie is one of the only friends I have left. Why can't I just play nice with everyone and have good days?-_ She thought. An all too familiar feeling came over her at that moment and she could feel a lump in her throat. She felt empty, alone, and overall just _so_ unsatisfied with her life. Picking up her cell phone, she checked the time. 10:13pm.

- _Grandma's probably having loads of fun right now in Radiant Garden . Figures…not that she'd care even if she WAS here. I don't know why I even bother thinking of her at all-_

Kairi's grandma was an active woman of 74 years old. She traveled to different worlds and never so much as sent Kairi postcards. She gave Kairi a card loaded with munny so that she could support herself, but that was all. It wasn't that she didn't care for Kairi, it was just that she had things in life that she wanted to do. She was always very outgoing and sociable with friends, but didn't pay much mind to Kairi's existence. As she fought her way towards the top of her graduating class, her grandmother paid little mind to her academic achievements. She didn't have to help Kairi pay for schooling in Destiny Islands- her parents left her a trust fund in addition to her scholarship she worked so hard to get. Once Kairi left for college, her grandmother wouldn't have to give her another thought. Thinking about her detachment from the world and her grandmother always made her sad.

She rolled onto her stomach. She knew she should change out of her clothes and wash up before bed but she was exhausted. Just as she began to drift off to sleep, her cell phone rang. Her ringtone was Utada Hikaru's "Blue". Ultra Blue was one of Kairi's very favorite albums. She felt it closely matched her feelings and so she found herself listening to it daily just to get by emotionally. It was therapeudic to her.

She answered on the third ring with a lazy "H..hello?"

"Kai. We need to talk." It was Selphie, of course, calling her just as she'd promised through her IM. Her voice sounded stern, and somewhat strained.

Kairi sighed. "Sel, I'm sorry about my blogs, you're right they're just- " Selphie cut her off before she could finish.

"Kairi, I think you seriously need to become a little more introspective and give yourself some quality alone time to sort out all your shit. You're all over the place. I mean, you're my friend and all but you're bringin' me down and I don't want to carry that extra weight. I guess...I guess I just wanted to say that I think our friendship should be put on hold until you grow some balls and resolve your deep seated emotion issues...you know."

"Selphie, I..."

"Please, just get yourself in a better place- I mean, state of mind. Graduation is almost a week away and I won't be able to enjoy it with you being just a crabby patty about everything. Peace out Kai-Kai." The line went dead.

The girl with the fiery auburn hair and amethyst eyes gently set her phone down on her vanity.

_-That was a one sided converstation if you ask me...She's got it all wrong...I don't...need more time to myself. I'm already so...alone.-_

The moon's light spilled through her window making her tears sparkle like diamonds as they fled from her eyes, each drop hitting her lap until she turned and buried her face in her pillow. This night, like most others, was going to be a long one, seeped in sorrow.


	2. Wayfinder

**A/N: Here's my second chapter! Hope you like it. Let me know what you guys think! :)**

**Chapter 2: Wayfinder**

All Kairi could hear was the music. She couldn't think, she couldn't move. At this moment in time, all that existed was just the song. She wasn't aware of the audience gazing up at her, in wonder. Her lips moved, producing a melodic sound like sunshine spilling through the clouds on a summer day. She hit each note like water droplets gently falling on a still pond, perfect ripples of noise coming together. Singing was her thing. It didn't matter what mood she was in, or what the day had brought for her. Singing was always right. She could feel her emotions pour out of her, leaving her feeling lighter. It wasn't that she cared so much about being in choir during her high school years, she just wanted an excuse to sing everyday.

Applause broke out as the music faded out, causing Kairi to snap out of the moment she was caught in. Everything suddenly came into focus. She was on stage, at her final recital for choir. Each senior was given the opportunity to audition for a solo, and pick their own song if they were selected. This was Kairi's. It was called "Blue", and it meant a lot to her. Music got her through her hard times, and singing was the best way for her to express her feelings. She was decent at it, to say the least, and she thought of it as just an added bonus. To match her song, she wore a black knee length pencil skirt with a sky blue ruffled blouse embellished with glitter and sequins to make it sparkle under the pale stage lights. To finish her look, she wore matching blue heels with a simple blue gem studs in her ears. She bowed slightly and walked off stage.

It took her a second to realize her heart was pounding.

"Phew..." Kairi closed her eyes and took deep breaths to slow her heart rate down a bit.

"Kairi, you did wonderful tonight." A voice called out from behind her. She turned to see her instructor, Miss Gainsborough beaming at her. She had a voice that rang out like bells and sounded soft and sweet like the purest golden honey.

Her lips curled into a soft smile that appeared warm and gentle, like a freshly lit candle. However, it flickered and was gone as quickly as it came. "Thanks, but after today no more singing or choir for me. I won't have time for it when I start school..."

"Oh, well, you shouldn't look at it that way...you have all the time in the world still to sing, you know." Her smile didn't falter as she handed Kairi a bouquet of blue hydrangeas with baby's breath and beargrass.

"To...go with your blue theme. They're from my garden. They're the only flower that seems to be able to survive in my garden. It thrives where others cant." Miss Gainsborogh finished.

"You didn't have to..." Kairi began, but was interrupted when her teacher grabbed her free hand and held it in both of hers.

"Don't stop singing! You've got an amazing voice. Sing everyday, and remember your time here when you 're like a vivid flower, yourself. Strong and resilient. Oh, and hurry, you've got to get back on stage and take your bow with the whole choir! Go on now!"

_"I've never...been called a flower before...but okay."_ She thought, and for some reason she found herself picturing a rainy day.

With a sigh, Kairi turned and took a step towards the white light one last time.

Kairi hadn't seen Selphie in a few days. Graduation had come, and passed without conflict. She hadn't spoken to anyone else, and when she passed them, kept her eyes straight ahead but she could feel them look away. She was a freak, and she knew it. She had self-confidence issues, she knew, and she was very much aware that she did not do well in social situations. She had a bad habit of burning bridges when it came to her friends. She'd had close friends over the years, but whenever a problem arose, Kairi let her pride get to her and she'd cut them loose. She shouldn't have let it happen to Selphie. But then, what kind of friend was Selphie anyway? Reflecting on the past year, she realized that Selphie really only criticized her and brought her even further down. Maybe it was for the best that this happened? She could no longer tell. The graduation ceremony was over but Kairi decided to stick around at the school until the rest of her graduation headed home to prepare themselves for the grad night celebration. She wouldn't be attending.

Kairi was laying sprawled out on the concrete rooftop of her school's performing arts building. She went there often. She'd study, listen to music, and space out. When she opened her eyes, she was met with a dull, gray sky. It was a dreary day.

"I knew I'd find you here. Little miss anti-social. Congrats being our class salutatorian. " She sat up to see Tidus standing in the doorway of the entrace to the rooftop.

"_Hmph. Thanks for reminding me," _Kairi thought,_ "Lenzo barely beat me for top of the class...aaargh."_

She frowned. "You know me too well, apparently."

The boy with the short blonde hair and ocean blue eyes chuckled at sat down next to her.

"Selphie told me about your phone call with her recently. I told her she was kinda makin' too big a deal about it, but you know how she is." He wasn't looking at her now, he was staring up at the sky.

Kairi condsidered for a moment. _"So they're all probably gossiping their asses off about me...of course."_

"She's being a major drama queen. I'm not trying to get all caught up in that stuff."

Tidus looked at her quizzically. "Drama queen or not, I think you're both nuts. You've each got your own crap to deal with. Why not just make up and head off to your fancy college with no bad feelings?" He jumped to his feet and looked down at her.

"You outta just kiss and make up. Or kiss and make out. That works too. Definitely. Yep actually you should just make out. Seeexy." He big smile appeared on his face as he finished speaking.

Kairi pursed her lips. She gave him a hard stare. "Tidus, you outta grow up for once. Did Selphie send you to talk to me?" She stood up and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

His eyes widened and he fell to the ground clutching his shoulder. Kairi stood over him and rolled her eyes. "Oh please..."

"Kairi! You're such a hard-ass sometimes. Take a chill pill. Screw it, you should just overdose sometime! But anyhow, you could surely benefit from a little immaturity now and then." He got back to his feet and brushed his pants off. Kairi shifted her weight to her right leg and crossed her arms scowling at him.

"Yeah whatever, don't look at me like that!" He walked back over to the rooftop entrance. He turned to give her one final look. "Seriously, you girls are all trouble if you ask me. I'd rather go to sleep each night gazing at a poster of my one true love...oooh Yuna you are such a babe.." He sighed dreamily and went through the door, closing it behind him.

_"He sure is something else...I swear_." Kairi thought, shaking her head.

It didn't really matter if Tidus was playing the messenger for not, she just knew it was a bad idea to buy into whatever Tidus and Wakka told her. They'd never say anything to her face, but Kairi knew they would talk behind her back. Tidus was so fake sometimes that it really got on her nerves. He'd play the class clown and all around nice guy, but he'd secretly choose sides and backstab anyone to keep his social status up. Kairi checked the time on her cell. School had been out for almost and hour, and it was time for her to head to work. It was her last day, and she knew she'd actually be kind of sad to be leaving her job behind. Working at the Highwind Gummi Ship repair shop had actually been one of Kairi's better high school experiences.

_"Oh Merlin, this is not going to be a pleasant good bye. Cid is going to be pissed and is going to take me leaving the shop way too personally..."_

Kairi took a deep breath as she pulled open the glass door to Cid's gummi repair shop, ignoring the "closed" sign hanging in the window. When Kairi entered the old shop, Cid was no where to be found. She glanced around the front office, taking in the sights for the last time. The inside was dark and dingy, smelling of old leather, and with minimal decoration. There were two rust colored armchairs on the right side of the room, with a circular wooden table between them. On the other side of the office was the counter which Kairi spent her evenings behind. It was wooden, but had a faux granite finish. There was a single service bell sitting next to a business card holder. In the four years Kairi had worked in that office, not once had she heard anyone ring the bell. Her eyes wandered over to the silk orchid arrangement which also sat on the counter. They were purple cymbidiums,and upon seeing them Kairi smiled slightly, remembering. She'd been only working for Cid for a week and the place was so drab and boring (not to mention smelled like a mixture of old people and oil) so she took it upon herself to make her work environment a little brighter. She walked around the counter and sat in her brown leather office chair. She'd kept the desk behind the counter pristine all the years she worked there and the only things that were ever left out were the old telephone, and the office supplies. The only up to date piece of equipment was the Eraqus Enterprises computer. Everything was always filed away and in its proper place. She'd also brought in a small cork board to post up new orders, or the names of clients that Cid needed to get in touch with. She tapped her manicured nails on the desk a minute before deciding to check the voice messages for the day.

"You have 0 new messages. To listen to saved messages press-" Kairi hung up the phone and bit her lip.

"_That's weird...there's always at least one new message. And where the heck is Cid at?" _ She thought to herself, as she began to fill with worry.

Did he forget today was her last day? Or maybe, he was so angry with her for leaving that he was going to work out of the shop today and not say anything to her. Normally he was already there, with a frown on his face, waiting to bark orders at her. She got on the computer and went through the part orders. Everything had already been received, and all new parts had been ordered. Wait..was she really supposed to come in today? It was Friday, 5:12pm. Yes, she should be there. Her shift would end at 9 but most nights she stayed until 10 anyway. Cid would always yell at her to go home and grumble about child labor laws and the like. She'd just laugh, and tell him to get on with his work. Regardless of their hostile relationship, Cid was like the father figure she'd never had.

She stared down her time card. Should she even write her hours? She slowly wrote in the name and date lines with her neat, tiny print. At that moment, the door burst open and Cid came stomping through the door. She nearly jumped out of her chair, and upon doing so, drew a line down the timecard.

Cid was around the age of thirty-five (he'd never say), about 5'8 in height, with short blonde hair. He always wore goggles on his head and had a spare cigarette tucked behind his left ear. He usually wore a plain white t-shirt, and plain blue cargo pants.

"Heeey kiddo! Sorry I'm late. Shera's got me runnin' all sorts of errands today! There was bad traffic on the way too, this one wise guy thought he'd cut me off so I flipped him the bird and told him to go-"

Kairi stood up and made a gesture for him to stop. "Cid, hey, I get the point."

"Uhhh right...now anyway..." He began.

Kairi cut him off again. "Today is my last day. All the work is done. What is this all about?" She demanded.

"Geez kid, hold on to your drawers and let me explain!" He set a small box on the counter and took out a cigarette. Before she could stop him he lit it and let out a huge puff of smoke.

_"Ughhh how many times have I told him not to smoke in here!"_ She thought angrily, clenching her fists. She stayed silent.

"Since today is your last day, I decided I just wanted you to take the night off. Also, I got a little somethin' for you." He motioned towards the box.

It had no wrapping paper, and in fact she could see nothing special about it. It was just a plain brown box, slightly bent on one side. She cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow.

"Really Cid...? I never knew you to be the sentimental type."

He just shrugged. "Quit your yappin' and open it already!"

She eyed him suspiciously but slowly grabbed the box and opened it.

"One person can only have so many miniture gummi ship models...huh...?" Her fingers closed around a pointed object as she lifted it out of its packaging.

She looked at the star shaped trinket that was roughly the size of her opened palm. It was made of some kind of shell, and was made up of five seperate pieces. Gray stitches in the shape of x's held them all in place. The middle of the star was a pale yellow, and it faded to pink at the points. A small crown sat in the center.

"What...is this?" She finally looked up at Cid.

"It's a wayfinder made of thalassa shells. They can only be found on the Destiny Islands. Think of it as a good luck charm..." He scratched his head. "...and a thank you for all the work you've done around this place."

"Cid?" Kairi said quietly.

"Your not gonna get all teary-eyed on me now are you? I thought you were a tough kid."

Kairi shook her head quickedly and ignored the lump in her throat.

"Nothing, hey, it's just that...um, I mean...thanks."

"It's the least I could do. How about we meet up with Shera and grab a bite to eat? I'm starvin' and you could tell us all about your plans for summer."

Kairi nodded and hurried to gather her things. They closed up shop together, and Kairi headed out into the night with a smile on her face.


End file.
